I Am Adapting to My New Diagnosis
As it turns out, I wasn’t able to edit my novel in August as I planned. Hospital visits, fatigue, and vacation got the best of me. It looks like it’s going to take more than a month to edit an entire book, so…
The Mermaid Chronic(les) - a Column by Kala Godin
Kala is a 22-year-old woman living in Alberta, Canada. She was diagnosed with SMA Type II at 11 months old. She is a columnist, author, and editor. In her weekly column, “The Mermaid Chronic(les),” she discusses life with SMA: from her daily life to the expectation of others. No matter the topic, she tries to keep things silly and sarcastic.Add an MS Diagnosis to My List
“Can I leave?” is a line from my last column. Not many would say that to a possible multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. But by that point, I wanted to be anywhere else. I tend to handle diagnoses well. I knew nothing more…
SMA Takes a Normal Day and Turns It Upside Down
It’s a normal day. Well, mostly a normal day. My parents come into my room at about 4 a.m. to tell my sister and I that they love us and that they’re heading out. They have a three-hour drive to the airport, and then an hour flight. Their first flight.
Sometimes My Parents Need to Travel, But I Love Staying at Home
My parents recently went on a trip and left me to fend for myself. I’m kidding. My sister was with me. We’re perfectly capable of fending for ourselves and survived purely on junk food, takeout, sugar — and caffeine. (Just kidding, Mom.) My parents need to travel on their own…
A New Chapter: My First Book Signing as a Published Author
Three days from now, on Aug. 23, I will be doing my first book signing. As I previously have mentioned, my first book, “Witchcraft and Monsters,” was published in January. I now have this amazing opportunity to see what a book signing is like. My…
Our Pets Are Truly Part of the Family
We have a number of pets, including a small, aging Chihuahua and a few cats. They’re adorable and we love them a lot. The cats follow my younger sister around pretty much wherever she goes, including the bathroom, or they meow and yell on…
When Getting Tattoos, Placement Is a Key Consideration
I previously wrote a column about body modifications and how my favorite kind is tattoos. When I think about it, I’ve been in to get tattooed every year since graduating high school. Well, every year except for this one — so far. There’s still time. On…
Dating, or the Lack Thereof
We see a lot of articles addressing SMA and dating, or dating when an individual is in a wheelchair. I’ve had little to no experience in dating. I had a boyfriend when I was in middle school, but that was more of a “Well, everyone…
We’re Building a Deck so I Can Be Closer to Nature
We’ve finally had some decent weather. It has been rainy lately, which I thoroughly enjoy because I’m allergic (literally, not figuratively) to the burning orb in the sky that is the sun — both my skin and eyes react. But construction doesn’t happen when it’s raining, which…
Looking for the Good When I’m Feeling Run-down
It is July, the seventh month of 2019, and I am ready for this entire year to be done. I’m not joking. Something drastic and stressful has happened every month so far. Not with me — I’m fine — but I’ve had multiple family members become sick, and…
